Elk City woman and boyfriend were on probation

CHILD WELFARE DA TO VIEW POLICE PAPERS BEFORE DECIDING ON ACTION AGAINST MOM IN ELK CITY BOY’S DEATH

BY RANDY ELLIS

November 11, 2008

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An Elk City woman and her boyfriend were on probation for enabling child neglect when her 3-year-old son was killed Nov. 4.

The boyfriend, Rocky Allen Moore, 22, of Elk City, was charged Thursday with first-degree murder in the beating death of Ryan Weeks. The child’s mother, Trinity Anderson, 22, has not been charged in the death.

District Attorney Dennis Smith said he will need to review police reports before determining potential courses of action against the mother.

Ryan’s foster mother, Danna Paulino, told The Oklahoman she begged a judge and the state Department of Human Services not to send Ryan and his two half-siblings home three months ago because Ryan and his 5-year-old half-brother would return from home visits with bruises and signs of abuse. She said their 22-month-old half sister showed signs of neglect, but not abuse, after home visits.

Anderson could not be reached for comment Monday.

Court records show Anderson and Moore were arrested in September 2007 because Moore was smoking marijuana in the three children’s presence.

"My boyfriend and his friends were smoking marijuana at my house,” Anderson wrote when she pleaded guilty to enabling child neglect. "I was at work, but my children were present at the house.”

Moore told an officer Anderson and two friends were at the apartment when Moore smoked the marijuana, an arrest warrant affidavit stated.

Moore pleaded guilty to enabling child neglect Feb. 13 and got four years of probation. Anderson pleaded guilty to the same charge Aug. 20 and got two years of probation.

The foster mother said she cared for the children from Sept. 12, 2007, to Aug. 1, when Beckham County Associate District Judge Floyd Douglas Haught returned custody to Anderson over the foster mother’s objections.

The marijuana incident apparently was not the first time the state took the children. When police investigated that complaint, Anderson told them she had just gotten her children back from DHS.

DHS said it would take about a month to investigate and prepare a public report on agency involvement with the family leading up to Ryan’s death.

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